The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-06-08
The Travellers Tree.

A European traveller, on his way
from the coast of Madagascar to the
capital, Tananarivo, in the interior, had
emptied his water-fask and was suffer-
ing from thirst. He asked one of the
natives of his party when he should be
able to obtain water.
Any time you like" said the native,
smiling.
The European saw no signs of springs
or water; but the natives conducted
him to a group of tall pam-trees, stand
ing in a cluster on the edge of the
forest, with straight trunks, and bright
green, broad leaves growing from the
opposite sides of the stalk and making
the tree appear like great fan. The
white man gazed admiringly at the tree.
You think it is fine tree" said
the native, &C but l will show you what
it is good for"
He pierced the roof of one of the
leaf-stems, at the point where it Joined
the tree, with his spear, whereupon a
stream OF clear water spurted out,
which the European caught in his water
can and found cool, fresh and ex-
cellent to drink.
The party having satisfied their thirst
and taken supply, the native who had
spoken went on:
This tree, which is good for us in
more ways than one, we call the travel
er's tree"
"But where does the water come
from that the tree contains?" asked the
white man. els it taken up from the
soil?'
ooh, no." said the native. "The
leaves drink in the rain that falls on
them, and when it has passed all
through them it becomes very pure
and sweet"
"And are there many of these trees
on the island?"
There are so many that sometimes
one sees no other trees for mile: and
very often we take no provision of
water when we travel, because we
know that we shall find the travellers
tree"
"And you say there are other things
that they are good for?''
The native answered by asking
another question.
Do you remember" he said, 60 the
village that we passed through this
morning, with its wooden huts rooted
over with leaves? Those huts were
made of nothing but the travellers
tree. The wood splits easily, but makes
tough planks for floors, and the walls of
the houses are made of the bark. With
the branches we make the rafters, and
the leaves cover the roof. But this is
not all that the good tree does. We
are coming soon to village whose
people | know, and | will show you
more"
The native was eager in his haste to
show to the traveller what the tree still
had in store for him, and the European,
for his part, felt no little curiosity.
They arrived soon at the village. and
the guide conducted the traveller to the
hut of a friend, who received them
very Hospitality and soon spread
meal for them.
First he placed upon sort of table
spread made of some vegetable SUBJ
stance, very light and pretty; then he
set before his guests two drinking ves-
sells of material which the white man
did not recognize, and then he gave
them two utensils, which, although
rude in shape, served in the stead of
knife and fork.
In the midst OF the table he placed
large bowl, filled with cream of very
appetizing appearance. In another
vessel there was quantity of oil, with
almonds floating upon it,
" Before we begin" said the guide,
:. | must tell you what l promised.
Everything that there is upon this
table comes from the travellers tree.
You see this table-cloth? 1t is made
of the fibres of the leaves of the tree.
These Advantageous, these plates,
these knives, are made of the wood or
the bark of the tree. What you take
to be cream is dish made of the seeds
of the tree, pounded up with meal and
mixed with kind of milk drawn from
the trunk of the tree. What you think
are almonds are little cakes made of
these seeds and oil is pressed from the
skin or shuck of the seed. As for the
water you are about to drink, you know
that already. And we get not only
these things, but some of the people Of
Madagascar have made kind of cloth
that they wear out of the fibre of the
wood. "-Selected